Discount Medicine Cards Mean Savings for Seniors
By Tom Cole
April 26, 2004
Last year the United States Congress passed a Medicare bill that was signed by the President that will give seniors access to a drug discount card that will help millions of Americans save money on their medicines. Already, more than 70 organizations have received Medicare approval to offer discount cards with a Medicare seal that shows the card is Medicare-endorsed and ensures specific government-backed consumer protections.
It is simply unconscionable that many seniors are faced with a decision between paying for their prescription medicines and paying for food. With passage of this legislation, the burden of paying for prescription drugs has been substantially reduced for senior citizens, particularly low-income seniors with high drug costs. Seniors have been waiting for 38 years for Medicare to include prescription drug coverage. And now seniors will not have to wait any longer.
Seniors can sign up for the cards starting in May and begin using the discount cards on June 1, 2004. Annual fees for the cards will range from $0 to $30, and the government will pay the enrollment fees for those seniors who qualify for low-income assistance. In addition, these financially-strapped seniors will receive up to $600, both this year and next, to assist with the cost of their medicines. According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), cardholders will receive discounts between 10 - 25% on their prescription costs.
Seniors will be able to compare the different cards to find one that best meets their individual health care needs. There are two easy ways to determine which card is the best card. The first is the official Medicare website, www.medicare.gov, which provides customized information based on the particular needs of each senior. Information, such as the differences in drug coverage, pharmacy participation and prices among the available cards is available on this site. The website will contain complete information on all cards by April 29, 2004.
However, if a senior does not have access to the Internet or is uncomfortable using it, similar assistance is available by phone, toll free, at 1-800-MEDICARE. Seniors can also ask the Medicare operator to send them a personalized booklet of this information to assist in their drug card decision.
Before a senior logs on to www.medicare.gov or calls 1-800-MEDICARE to begin this process, he or she should have the following information ready:
What prescription medications are you currently taking?
1. Name of each drug
2. The dose (pill size)
3. How often you take the drug (for example, two times a day)
All of this information can be found on your prescription bottles or the print-out your pharmacy provides when you pick up your prescriptions.
If you're a senior with annual income below $12,569 as an individual or $16,862 as a couple, you might be eligible for financial assistance. If you think you qualify for assistance, income statements or tax forms can be helpful when figuring out your monthly income.
Once a senior decides which card is best, he or she can contact the company to sign up for that particular card. When the enrollment form has been approved, the company will send out a Medicare-approved drug discount card and specific materials a senior might need like a member handbook, discount drug list and pharmacy provider directory.
The availability of these cards will provide tangible benefits to millions of seniors. This discount card program is the first concrete step toward making the promise of a Medicare prescription drug benefit a reality for our seniors.